Albert l



A. L. AUSTIN.

MOTOR VEHICLE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, I920.

1 ,426,448. Patented Aug. 22, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

dim @W.

A. L. AUSTIN.

MOTOR VEBICLE SIGNAL.

"memo" min |An.22. I920.

1,426,448. Patented Alig. 22, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

e axis/v p50 a \l UNITED STATES PATENT orr' ice.

AL-BERT L. AUSTIN, or CLEV LAND, OHIO, nssronon 'ro VICTOR GRANDE AND ANTHONY :r. FEBRIS, BOTH or NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR-VEHICLE SIGNAL.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

Application filed January 22, 1 920. Serial No. 353,288.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United statesyresiding' at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new andliiseful Improvements in Motor-Vehicle signals; of Which the following is a specification 'ji j-i a nt a. relates t nr aa em in motor "vehicle signals, 1 andymore particularly to thatfcla's's or type. which are adapted indicate the motion or direction hichQthe motor vehicle isabout to assume; as for exainple, 'afstopl or a turn to the right or left. i

The inventionQfurther relates to an impi oved license panel carrying and illuminating' signal lampwhereby the numerals or characters of the license panel are so positively and clearly illuminated. at all timesias to be distinctly visible andreadable at distance. at night and as contradistingpished from the; manner of .illuminatin ,;s uch panels, as now commonly employ'e j v The invention further. relates to improved means for carrying and illuminatin .the license sign or" pane ,ineonnection wit the signalor'tail'lam p The primary ob eet of. the invention is to provide a generally improved motor vehicle signal which will be exceedingly simple in constructiom'cheap of manufacture, and efiicie'ntin use.

A further and very important object is to provide a signalof this class which will be operated and controlled through the medium" of the vehicle control and steering mechanism so'that the signal lamps will be energized and deener ized in accordance with the movements of the vehicle.

With the above mentioned and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and com bination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view of a license panel carrying and illuminatin signal lamp constructed in accord ance with this invention and applied to the rear ofa motor vehicle for use as a tail lamp.

I Fig. 2 an enlarged top plan view of the signal .lamp, detached, a portion of the lamp casing walls being broken awa for the purpose of clearer illustration of the internal parts.

Fig.3 a rear view of the same.

. Fig. 4 a side elevation of the same, a portion of thecasing being broken away to illustrate the inner or supplementary reflectorand thearrangement of the lamp bulbs orpsources of illumination therein.

. ;Fig. 5arear view of the inner or supplementary reflector and lamp bulbs.

Fig. 6 a diagrammatic view of the wiring or lamp circuits and means for energizing and deenergizing the same in connection with suitable motor vehicle control mech- RIIISD'L,

.Fig. 7, a modified construction of relatively fixed and movable contact elements forenergizing and dis-energizing the lamp circuits-through suitable lever mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

The improved signal comprises a lamp casingl of any suitable and convenient form, but. preferably of general reflector form as shown with the walls l diverging and terminating in spaced guideways 1 spaced apart, forming a transversely elongated open portion l, said guidevvays 1 being adapted to receive and carry a license panel 2. The license panel 2 is provided with suitable characters such for example as the license numerals 2 and letters 2 or other characters forming the license number and other identifying insignia.

The lamp casing l is suitably attached to a suitable portion of the motor vehicle. as for example,to the rear of the vehicle body 3, forming in such instance a tail lamp, such lamp also serving to carry and positively illuminate the characters of the license plate or panel 2.

The license plate or panel 2 may be pro- \"iClCd with u trauspzmnit plate or backing 3 at the rear. indicated most clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings. As a means of illuminating the open characters in the license plate or panel as well as providing sources of ilhuniimtion or lamp bulbs of ilill'crent colors to indicate the motion or direction which the motor vehicle is assumin or about to assume, the casing l is proi'itlizil with lamp bulbs 4 and 4, such lamp bulbs, in the present instance, being of green and red, respectively.

.is {1 means of controlling said sources of illumination throirgh the movements of the motor vehicle the' lamp bulbs 4 and Pare connected to suitable lamp circuits 4' and 4, respectively, such circuits communicatin e with a suitable source of electric energy 5 and being connected to suitable-contact elements '6 adapted to he opened and closedthrough a movable contact element 6", whereby the source of illumination or elements land 4 may be alternately. energized and dcenergized.

The lamp circuits 4 and 4 are connected to some suitable motor vehicle control 'mech- :llllSlfi, 'SllC-ll for example as the contact ele- ,ment 0 on the-motor shaft 7, and the con:

tact element 6 on theshaft 8, leadingto the transmission mechanism, the movable contact element 6--in this instance being in the form of a clutch member, operated and controlled through a suitable clutch operating orshifting lever-9.

In view of the above construction and as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig: 6 of the drawings, it will be apparent that when the clutch lever 9 and connected parts are in .the position shown, the lamp circuit 4 leading to the lamp bulb-4 will be energized= and a red light will be projected through the open characters of the license panel so that-when-the clutch is thrown out or when the motor is running without being in connection with the transmission mechanism a red light will be shown, and when the clutch is thrown in or in contact with the opposite contact element the circuit 4 will be energized, thereby projecting a green light through the open characters of the license panel. It will therefore be apparent that when the motor is in connection with the transmission mechanism a green light will be shown, and will be so shown untilthe clutch is again thrown out when the circuit leading to the green light will be deenergized, and the circuit leading to the red light will be energized.

In the modified form of lever mechanism shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the movable contact element, 6, is carried by the lever. 9, and is adapted to make contact with the relatively fixed contact elements, 6", mounted on the segment or bracket shown.

If desired, the lamp casing may be provided with a supplemental reflector 10 havin; tubular sockets 10 to receive and contain the shank portions of the lamp bulbs 1 and l" as shown most clearly in Figs. 3, l and 5 of the drawings.

H aving thus described one of the embodiments ol my invention, without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In motor vehicle signalingmeans, in eluding a panel provided with license indicating characters, means for normally illuminating said panel with light of one color to display the license and for changing the illumination to a light of a'nother color to give a signal.

2. In motor vehicle signaling meansin eluding vehicle controlling mechanism, "a panel provided with license in'dica'tinv'ch'aractors, means operated by said vehicecontrolling mechanism for nonnally illuminating said panel with light of one color. to display the licenseand for chang'imnthe illumination to a light of another col ort'o give a signal.

3. In a motor vehicle, signaling'means a lamp casing, including a light transmitting panel provided with license indicatin characters, different colored lamps in casing, 21 source of electrical energy and circuit connections for said lamp, a two position switching means for normally including one of said lamps in and excluding the other from said circuit connections in one position thereof and for including the second named lamp and excluding the first named lamp in the second position of the switch.

1-. Ina motor vehicle, signaling means, a lamp casing'includin a light transmitting panel provided with license indicatin characters, different colored lamps in said casing, 21 source of electrical energy and circuit connections for said lamps, vehicle control mechanism, two osition switchin means operated by said vehicle contro mechanism for normally includin one of said lamps in and excluding the other from said circuit connections in one osition thereof and for including the secontFnamed lamp and excluding the first named lamp in the second position of the switch.

5. In av motor vehicle, including vehicle control mechanism, a lamp casing a source of illumination therein, a license panel provided with open numerals, and means for controlling said source of illumination and signaling through said open numerals through said vehicle control mechanism.

(1. In a signal, a motor vehicle provided with a reflector casing, signal lights of dif ferent colors therein, a license number panel carried by said casing and illuminated by said signal lights. and means for selectively energizing and deenergizing said signal lights in accordance with predetermined movements of said motor veated contact elements for selectivelv enerhicle. gizing and deenergizing said signal lights 10 7. In a signal, a motor vehicle provided in accordance With the movements With said With a projector casing, signal lights of vehicle control elements.

different colors therein, a license panel car- In testimony whereof I have aflixed my ried by said casing and provided with open signature.

characters illuminated by said signal lights,

and light circuits and vehicle control actu- ALBERT L. AUSTIN. 

